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Hit #2
Hit: 1957
What’s to Love: Hit: 1955 was one of our favorite original series of 2013, a dark, violent dive into the depths of 1950s corruption in Los Angeles featuring the writing of Bryce Carlson and the debut of Russ Manning Award for Most Promising Newcomer nominee Vanesa R. Del Rey. Hit: 1957 takes us later in the seminal decade of change for the LAPD—familiar faces, new threats, and more sharp, smart noir. Even if you missed out on the first series, if you’re a fan of crime comics like Parker, Criminal, and Tumor, Hit is in your wheelhouse. What It Is: Crime is down in Los Angeles—at least, on the surface. Mickey Cohen has been quiet since his release from prison and the LAPD has seemingly regained control of the city. But the underground is a different story. Det. Harvey Slater and company have spent the last two years focused on Domino and his Syndicate’s unrelenting infiltration, but no matter how many people the hit squad kills, the real fight for Los Angeles rages on. Meanwhile, Slater’s being hounded by Internal Affairs, Bonnie Brae is missing, and everything is falling apart at the seams. Collects the complete mini-series, issues #1-4.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 7, 2022
The story wasn't nearly as focused as the first volume. Still, some solid noir about a LAPD detective who runs a hit squad on the side. When an old flame resurfaces, he heads to Vegas to save her. I will warn you that this is extremely dark with a really messed up serial killer as the B story.
January 10, 2020
Pretty similar to the first volume. If you're a fan of James Ellroy, this is in the same wheelhouse. Dirty cops, police-sanctioned hit squads, a serial killer operating in the background. The story isn't always easy to follow and the artwork doesn't always help. But it isn't bad.
July 8, 2021
An improvement over the first volume, but it's hard to say if that's do to familiarity or improvement. The several storylines are at least one to many, and it leaves everything feeling underserved.
February 5, 2018
As with Hit 1955, this one ends with a short story and Carlson's tight driving narrative in these two stories is some of the best noir writing I've read in a long time. Would love to see a collection of his stories. Alas, the story that ends this volume is probably just a bridge to an eventual third Hit, which will be welcome also. As for this volume, it is hard charging and blood drenched, both in the present-time narrative and the back-story sections. Love the purple and blue coloring, which really makes this noir art pop. My only complaint was that reading this in a kindle version was difficult at times because so many of the panels are horizontal and narrow - like 1 inch narrow. And the font is small. Makes for tough going when there's a lot of dialog. It's a pain to view panel-by-panel, or to flip horizontal and back just to make things easier to read. Doesn't really detract too much from what is otherwise a beautifully stylized homage to 1950s noir that has been amped up with the sex and violence we expect from our contemporary noir.
July 22, 2024
Picks up from where Hit: 1955 left off, except we have obviously jumped ahead in time.
Despite everything that threatened to topple Slater and his off-the-books 'hit squad' of cops cleaning up the streets without, lets say, giving the worst of the worst no chance of a fair trial, the corrupt boys in blue are still at it. But the identity of the puppet-masters at the top has changed...and it seems there will be new 'rules', or maybe even a shut down. As if. Checking in with some of our outside-the-lines badge-bearers personally: (a) Heywood has clearly gone from brash newbie of 1955, to smoothly-operating and highly reliable squad member...while (b), Sticky of all people is having an attack of conscience - all those bloody extra nights culminating in a big mistake involving an innocent (be there such a one), plus a wife with child pending - and so Sticky breaks away to work on the gross and disgusting 'Hacker' case, this time in the proper-procedures fashion.
Meanwhile, super-survivor Bonnie, living under yet another name, has done the getaway thing fairly successfully since 1955 - but that comes crashing to a halt right at the start of Hit: 1957, and she's hustled off to Vegas by goons - well, one is especially charming but don't have any illusions - working for the kingpin who would most like to see her suffering and then dead and then spit on and grave-danced on. It doesn't look good. Slater and the fellas torture some info out of someone and make plans for their own brutal Vegas getaway. It seems they will most miss Leo the bartender...but gosh, even that takes an interesting turn.
Once again, at the end of the story told with words and pictures, we get a text addition that sews up something left hanging. if this is like something you have to stay for during the end credits of a superhero movie...then this is like those instances where, if you skip it, you miss something major.
Don't 'Hit' yourself if you DNF because of no likeable characters, or no 'good' people, in the story. This is for fans of gritty pulp noir, or maybe the TV show The Shield (not tamed all that much to suit the 1950s...maybe a smidge). The art is the same in both graphic novels, so if you liked it once, it should work out fine both times. I like it; it suits the material. Sometimes, during the biggest shootouts, one has to check who exactly got shot, or unexpectedly sliced - as some of these guys look and dress the same the more we pull back for a wide angle, or keep it dark. But I liked the look of this, overall.
Despite everything that threatened to topple Slater and his off-the-books 'hit squad' of cops cleaning up the streets without, lets say, giving the worst of the worst no chance of a fair trial, the corrupt boys in blue are still at it. But the identity of the puppet-masters at the top has changed...and it seems there will be new 'rules', or maybe even a shut down. As if. Checking in with some of our outside-the-lines badge-bearers personally: (a) Heywood has clearly gone from brash newbie of 1955, to smoothly-operating and highly reliable squad member...while (b), Sticky of all people is having an attack of conscience - all those bloody extra nights culminating in a big mistake involving an innocent (be there such a one), plus a wife with child pending - and so Sticky breaks away to work on the gross and disgusting 'Hacker' case, this time in the proper-procedures fashion.
Meanwhile, super-survivor Bonnie, living under yet another name, has done the getaway thing fairly successfully since 1955 - but that comes crashing to a halt right at the start of Hit: 1957, and she's hustled off to Vegas by goons - well, one is especially charming but don't have any illusions - working for the kingpin who would most like to see her suffering and then dead and then spit on and grave-danced on. It doesn't look good. Slater and the fellas torture some info out of someone and make plans for their own brutal Vegas getaway. It seems they will most miss Leo the bartender...but gosh, even that takes an interesting turn.
Once again, at the end of the story told with words and pictures, we get a text addition that sews up something left hanging. if this is like something you have to stay for during the end credits of a superhero movie...then this is like those instances where, if you skip it, you miss something major.
Don't 'Hit' yourself if you DNF because of no likeable characters, or no 'good' people, in the story. This is for fans of gritty pulp noir, or maybe the TV show The Shield (not tamed all that much to suit the 1950s...maybe a smidge). The art is the same in both graphic novels, so if you liked it once, it should work out fine both times. I like it; it suits the material. Sometimes, during the biggest shootouts, one has to check who exactly got shot, or unexpectedly sliced - as some of these guys look and dress the same the more we pull back for a wide angle, or keep it dark. But I liked the look of this, overall.
June 1, 2024
The art and dialogue/narration continued to be great. But the story was now more sprawling and confusing, I didn't understand the network of characters very well or even who the main antagonists were. The biggest problem with the book though is that they killed Bonnie and to a lesser extent Leroy. Bonnie's death was so understated and came out of nowhere, it barely even counts as a fridging as it didn't seem to propel Slater very much at all and I'm still not even entirely sure who killed her. The ending was unclear, everything about the story was pretty much awful. The weird serial killer guy was way more dark than the story required. Nothing came together very well. I didn't even bother reading the prose story at the end. The variant covers were all cool though! Psy, it was a very disappointing sequel that honestly has colored my appreciation for the first. On a stupid personal level I'm frustrated because the cover design for this book is so cool with the neon pink noir look, in the two books looked really good together as a pair. But I have no desire to keep this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2019
This chapter is too convoluted and slow-paced to be as enjoyable as the first one. There are still vengeful gangsters with shady dealings and cops who want to clean up their town using as much violence as the bad guys. Still it's a step down from the more clear-cut story in the first volume. Brubaker, this writer is not, though he is trying hard to be.
Bonnie has been using a secret identity, but she is kidnapped by men who still know how to find her. LA is still dirty, even with Harvey and his team's attempts to clean it up. Harvey himself is being investigated by Internal Affairs. The increased attention threatebs to bring their dealings out in the open, so Harvey's partner Sticky wants out.
Bonnie has been using a secret identity, but she is kidnapped by men who still know how to find her. LA is still dirty, even with Harvey and his team's attempts to clean it up. Harvey himself is being investigated by Internal Affairs. The increased attention threatebs to bring their dealings out in the open, so Harvey's partner Sticky wants out.
March 4, 2023
Good ... Not great follow up to a classic
Convoluted plots, fleeting characters, and a not too original revenge story make this outing a bit lesser than the original. Much of the "edge of your seat" tension from Hit:1955 is lost and replaced by gory shootouts and meaningless plot twists. (Save one unexpected development that I refuse to spoil.)
This is worth a read, especially if you are a fan of the first volume, but don't get your hopes too high. I'm hoping for a rebound in the next tale.
Convoluted plots, fleeting characters, and a not too original revenge story make this outing a bit lesser than the original. Much of the "edge of your seat" tension from Hit:1955 is lost and replaced by gory shootouts and meaningless plot twists. (Save one unexpected development that I refuse to spoil.)
This is worth a read, especially if you are a fan of the first volume, but don't get your hopes too high. I'm hoping for a rebound in the next tale.
March 28, 2024
I read the 4 individual issues. Brutally violent. Artwork was good for the most part, but in a (deliberately?) sketchy and uneven style, with the same character looking good in one frame and bad in another - and also frequently changing dimensions (weight, height, etc). Story was very good, writing excellent, afterwards in each issue interesting and entertaining (in a way). I'm not overly-fond of Vegas stories, but this was well-told, in the finest traditions of movies like Casino and Mulholland Falls, with some LA Confidential thrown it.
November 30, 2018
Things change, people don't and great noir makes it all the more distinct. Recommended.
June 23, 2024
DNFed at around 50%. It did not grip me at all.
September 18, 2015
Read this as 4 single issues. Overall, a good servicable noir. The art/coloring is not as good on this sequel, as the first edition of "Hit", but it is still worthwhile, if you enjoy film noir cliches/tropes.
July 9, 2023
Really solid story and comic. I enjoyed the detailed story and the creative take on a rather un original story style. The writing is dirtier, the story meatier and messier than the first book, and results in a more satisfying read.
August 28, 2016
Very well done. Hit all the classic noir tropes without being clichéd. Great storytelling and fantastic artwork.
January 23, 2020
Hit is solid, gritty 1950s noir. It isn’t Raymond Chandler, but that’s a pretty high bar to reach. I thought the story and the art were good and will read more of the series.
December 27, 2015
A dark crime story.
June 2, 2016
A great follow up to Hit 1955 by the same team. Dark Los Angeles/Las Vegas noir.
April 30, 2017
Bonnie Brae is back and just as bad(ass) as ever. Enjoyed this second volume just as much as 1955 - kind of hoping to see Bonnie return again one day.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews